Published Jul 24, 2006
Sonn
58 Posts
Hi I am an australian registered nurse with an a post grad in recovery room and anesthetics. I also have experience in orthopaedics/med/surg/HDU/ICU. My sister lives in USA - Virginia, and I am thinking about coming to visit her next year with the possibility of picking up some work if I can. What do I have to do to get work in USA? Is it a hard process?
sbdreamer1982
4 Posts
hi,
YOu need to call the Nursing board of minnesota (find them online). Get them to send you registration papers. YOu register with them, then you have to pay for the NCLEX. Then you have to apply for a visa screen (find this online too...type in Nurse visa screen and you'll find the appropriate documents online). Ant thats it. All you will have to do is fill the papers out and study and write for the exam.
The whole process will take about 6 months. You'll need about two months to study and the visa screen may take 4 months.
sirI, MSN, APRN, NP
17 Articles; 45,819 Posts
hello, sim21281,
i moved your thread to the international forum for a better response.
suzanne4, RN
26,410 Posts
hi, YOu need to call the Nursing board of minnesota (find them online). Get them to send you registration papers. YOu register with them, then you have to pay for the NCLEX. Then you have to apply for a visa screen (find this online too...type in Nurse visa screen and you'll find the appropriate documents online). Ant thats it. All you will have to do is fill the papers out and study and write for the exam.The whole process will take about 6 months. You'll need about two months to study and the visa screen may take 4 months.
Sorry, but not correct if the nurse is from Australia. There is also an issue with immigration then. They are not part of the NAFTA treaty. And Minnesota has nothing to do with it.
1. Not all training in Australia is equal to the different areas that ar required in the US, such as did you have peds and maternal health in your program? These are required areas and must be completed before being permitted to even sit for the NCLEX exam. You will need to apply to a state for licensure, and most require the CES done by CGFNS. And you will need to get a Visa Screen Certificate once you pass the NCLEX-RN exam.
2. There are no temporary work permits available for nurses, you will need to get processed for a green card. It is going to take you well over a year for all of that. The green card is for permanent residency here. Even if you wish to work a short time, you need to go that route, and then again, you will have issues trying to find an employer for the short duration.
3. Be aware that immigration/legal costs will be in the range of about $5,000 US before you can work here, not sure if it is a smart thing to do if only planning to come for a visit.
Thankyou to you all for your advice and time to reply. I now have a few starting points.